I really want to get this information out about voting in Texas.

[efhmc]

People can go to any polling place in their county in Texas and VOTE two week before the actual voting date. Here is the direct quote from the state of Texas:"Registered and eligible voters may vote at ANY early voting location located in the county of residence. Whether you are at home, work or out running errands, you will be able to find a polling place near you." Do you think we can stop complaining and get this info out to people before November?

[Skittles]

1. it is not highly advertised

as a night shift worker, it's the only way I can vote, about a week before the election

[efhmc]

7. Any ideas on how to get this across to people? Perhaps include the info in political ads?

I keep reading all this negative feedback about the long lines in Texas from Rachel and others and want to scream, "Vote early." I want all of these people to be able to vote but the easiest way is to go find a polling place two weeks before the election date. Maybe this is where the Dem county chair can do a good job of providing voting info. When I lived in Austin, there are polling places in grocery stores and I am sure it is the same in huge cities like Houston. We need to find a way to get this info out.

[Skittles]

8. I voted at the library

I think maybe signs in supermarkets and train stations would be good, but, alas, in a red state the powers that be do not WANT it advertised and surely they weigh in on this kind of thing

[efhmc]

13. As you know, Texas is definitely a red state but the libraries, grocery stores and other locals all

have not only signs saying voting there but lots of candidates' signs (placed outside the legal perimeter of course). One can vote in any of those places if she/he is a registered voter in that county. I really think this is an open to everyone fairly easy opportunity to vote. We just need people to have this information.

[Under The Radar]

2. Same fight Stacy Abrams has been fighting for 4 years in Georgia

Best to advertise early voting because of the Election Day chaos will be 100% worse in November.

[efhmc]

3. Thank you. I have been so frustrated that people are in line until 1AM

who could have been done and home (usually) quickly if they had down this before Tuesday. Any ideas on how to get this communicated?

[Under The Radar]

4. It will be the biggest advertising push starting in a couple of months.

Late night tv, paid advertising, social media. Etc

[Tanuki]

6. And then we had a tornado here in Tennessee the night before Super Tuesday!

I was glad I had already voted!

[efhmc]

16. Glad you are ok.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Yes, important PSA...but this was kind of a special election cycle,

with many people making their decisions at the last minute.

Many people didn't vote early intentionally.

[efhmc]

9. I do see what you are saying but that will not be the situation the next time.

[Wounded Bear]

11. Certainly true of November. Hell I could fill out my November 2020 ballot now...

[hamsterjill]

10. I can tell you that information is well published in Bexar County

Bexar County is San Antonio and we are blue. The information about early voting, early voting locations and hours is readily available. So it can be done.

The question is, of course, why it isn’t being done everywhere.

[efhmc]

14. Since many of the problems were in Harris county, perhaps we can start

the campaign info there in advance to tell people where and how this voting "opportunity" is readily available. Smart Dem candidates can fund it. That AA man who was in line until 1AM said he saw lots of people leave the line and go home. Whatever party they were, as citizens, they all should be able to vote without spending a day+ in line to vote.

[hamsterjill]

18. +1000

n/t

[eleny]

12. Maybe Bloomberg can get some billboards in Texas about this before November

As well as YouTube videos and the dreaded robo calls. Anything that can blanket Texas or airways in general with good information like this.

[efhmc]

15. Maybe we should get that man who stood in line so long and have him give a

proclamation about how he is voting early next election.

[Texasgal]

17. Travis County

had record turnout for early voting this year!

We just have to keep up the momentum!

[efhmc]

19. The only problem I heard about were officials not showing up to work because they were

concerned about the virus. Sounds like for the most part things went smoothly. NPR reported there were 50K votes by noon. A few glitches but things went smoothy for the most part. My Travis county family voters early voted.

[JCMach1]

20. How about we talk about how voter suppression works in Texas

We know people waited 6+ hrs in Harris and other blue and typically minority areas.

Meanwhile in the much more red, more wealthy north Dallas Burbs we get lots of brand new voting machines that have a paper trail. We can also vote at ANY polling location due to the new tech. Additionally, we get an online interactive map that had current wait times at the different polling stations. Took me all of 10m

Concierge voting vs. We just don't care voting...

[efhmc]

21. Someone had the money and influence to make this happen.

Can you tell me how, please?

[JCMach1]

22. Collin County had the will and $$$- now get these systems into minority areas

County Commission pushed by LWV


https://starlocalmedia.com/planocourier/news/collin-county-commissioners-approve-new-voting-system/article_e976ae90-25a0-11e9-896b-d7b1e894e0f4.html

And damn it's actually a pretty good model for the whole country.

Verifiable paper trail, tech used to maximize capacity.

I went my normal precinct and damn, long line 1hr wait at least. Pulled out my phone. Green pin in next polling place over. 2m drive and I was in and out in 10m.

[efhmc]

23. I have lots of family in this area and I will see what can be done elsewhere.

In fact all over my state. This will help all voters.

[MagickMuffin]

24. Here's the deal in Tarrant County

Before Nov. 2019 we did not have a paper trail for early voting. The only way you could receive a paper ballot was to vote on election day. Which is how I've always voted since I started voting.

Now we have machines that print our ballots after voting and then they get deposited into the E-Scan for tabulation.

I voted on election day didn't have to wait. So, here's the deal with voting early during the primary, if you vote early then you never know who will still be a viable candidate come election day. I'd rather give my vote to someone who is still in the race.

However, since I know who the candidate will be in November and since we now have a paper trail, I plan on voting early. I'm not gonna like it, but I definitely don't want to wait in long lines.


As far as alerting everyone, I know it is always televised by the news when early voting starts and ends.

[efhmc]

25. We have had those new machines in my not rich county for a few cycles now.

They are fast and I think much more secure.

[MagickMuffin]

27. I don't trust the new machines any more than I did the older ones

I liked having the ballots already printed and all I had to do was fill in the squares. It could be wasteful since a lot of people didn't care about their vote not having a paper trail and voting early, so, the county prints up large amounts of ballots and very little people showing up on election day to take advantage of having a paper trail. Oh and we couldn't suggest what ballots they could use when the voter asked us, which I hated. I wanted to inform them that the E-Slant does not have a paper trail.

Talk about a headache having to count all those ballots that did not get cast. Luckily we only used what was needed and so counting was a little easier, but still a pain in the ___________!

[beachbumbob]

26. texas democratic party and the DNC need to

[Karadeniz]

28. NEVER knew this! Will notify local paper.

[Karadeniz]

29. Wait...a question. Does this apply to early voting or only election day voting at early

Voting locations?

[efhmc]

30. Are you asking about polling locations for early voting?

They may not be your precinct location where in many counties you still may have to go to to vote on election day. On the two weeks before the regular day, you can go to any polling locations in your county. I voted in Randalls once in when I lived in Austin.

[pnwmom]

31. That's not true. They eliminated MANY polling places, especially the ones "near you"

if you were African American.

[efhmc]

32. You didn't understand what I was trying to convey,

You can go to any polling place in your county for two weeks before election day. In many small counties there is only one but you have two weeks to get there and can usually complete your voting in a very timely manner. The Democratic party can make this info available in that particular county on the radio, via social media, etc. https://www.harrisvotes.com/EarlyVoting As huge as Harris county is, I am sure there were lots of locations. After the primary, which party you voted for becomes public knowledge (I think you have to pay for it.) and the Dems could do mailouts letting people know about early voting and telling them a place close to them. Many places I have seen have campaigns signs out front indicating they are voting locations.

[pnwmom]

33. You're forgetting that a lot of these county polling places aren't in locations

that are easy to get to if you don't own a car.

Not everyone is driving around town on errands, near the place where they have their central polling location.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-has-closed-more-polling-places-than-any-14429443.php

Hundreds of polling places have shuttered across the state as Texas leads the nation in what civil rights advocates call one of the most pernicious tactics aimed at keeping minority voters from casting ballots.

Texas has closed 750 polling places since 2012, the vast majority coming after the Supreme Court in 2013 ruled states like it — with a history of racial discrimination — no longer had to get pre-approval from the federal government to pass new voting laws or make changes to the election process, according to a new report by The Leadership Conference Education Fund released on Tuesday.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/12/report-court-ruling-caused-mass-voting-place-closures-southern-u-s/2272866001/

ATLANTA – Nearly 1,700 voting precincts in 13 states have been shut down since 2012, many in black or Latino communities, after a landmark court decision that removed federal oversight of local voting practices, according to a new report.

The report, released this week by the Leadership Conference Education Fund, showed a surge in poll closures after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2013 that gutted a section of the Voting Rights Act requiring certain states and cities obtain federal approval before changing voting laws or practices.

After the law, which targeted communities with a history of voter discrimination, was struck down, Texas saw 750 polling locations closed, Arizona lost 320, and Georgia shut down 214, according to the report "Democracy Diverted: Polling Place Closures and the Right to Vote."

SNIP

In Texas, the counties of Dallas, Travis and Harris led with the most polling place closures. All three counties have a high population of black and Latino voters. The closures were part of a statewide effort to centralize voting centers.